The Technology That’s Making Workplaces Safer
Workplace accidents can ruin lives and cost businesses money in downtime and compensation payouts. Since the industrial revolution, the untold costs of workplace accidents have grown steadily higher, although safety measures are far better today than they’ve ever been. Although accidents can still happen, most workplaces make health and safety a priority, ensuring employees can go about their daily tasks without fear of injury or death.
Technology has had a major impact on the level of safety in modern workplaces, with innovative devices and safety equipment ensuring that work is not only more efficient but safer too. In this article, we’ll explore some of the key pieces of technology that are making workplaces safer than ever.
Safety Signalling
Throughout history, humans have used signals to communicate with one another over long distances. Signs and signals can transmit an important message, particularly in the context of safety. In the workplace, signs are incredibly useful for indicating danger or reminding employees about proper procedures, safety signalling can also make use of signal and beacon towers such as those found at RS.
Signal towers are devices which transmit status, warnings, and alarms by visual and auditory signals. They’re usually made out of lights or bulbs in various colours, arranged vertically to resemble towers. In signal towers, the hues of the lights typically have corresponding meanings. For instance, the colours red and yellow can denote an emergency or caution, green might show that an equipment or process is operating normally, and yellow might signify a warning.
Safety signal towers and beacon towers can also be fitted with horns or alarms to provide additional cues to employees. These devices are used in manufacturing plants to show when equipment is in use, or to provide crucial information on the assembly line. They’re also widely used in logistical and healthcare industries, where they can improve the standard of service and reduce the number of safety incidents.
Robotics
Robotics is the field of science concerned with the design and construction of automated machines. The field is hardly new, but there have been major leaps and bounds in recent years thanks to improvements to technology and the continued development of AI. Robotics can improve safety standards by completing jobs that are too dangerous for humans. Not only are they faster and more efficient, but they’re also capable of moving heavy objects and less likely to be damaged by hazardous environments.
The automotive industry has been making use of robotics for several decades now, and the majority of automotive assembly lines use robotics to create more efficient and safer processes. However, they have applications in many other industries too. For example, robotics can aid in surgical operations, allowing patients to receive better care. They can also help improve safety standards in dangerous industries such as mining and drilling, taking over roles from human workers.
Aside from robot workers, robotics can also be used to monitor workplaces and improve safety standards. Drones are flying devices which can be fitted with sensors and cameras. These can patrol the workplace to provide an early warning system in case of serious accidents or fires, ensuring that workers are alerted and evacuation procedures can begin.
The Future of Workplace Safety
If AI and robotics continue to develop, we may see a steady decline in the number of dangerous roles available to human workers and the workplace should continue to become safer. Businesses have an incentive to improve safety, as accidents are costly. As a result, there’s a real need for companies to find and adapt the latest technology to introduce new measures and effective procedures.
